Full membership in the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious (CMSWR) is open to all major superiors of women religious, both general and provincial and their legitimate vicars, who reside in the United States and who belong to active religious institutes or to societies of apostolic life, provided these have been canonically established, and subscribe to the criteria for membership.
Associate membership is open to women who reside in the United States and govern associations which have been established with a view to becoming religious institutes or societies of apostolic life, provided these associations have canonical status of a public association of the faithful and subscribe to the criteria for membership.
Those accepted into membership subscribe to the teaching of the Church regarding those elements considered essential to religious life, including for example:
[cf. CMSWR Statutes, Article 3, Section 4]
Benefits of Full and Associate Membership:
Limitations of Associate Membership:
In accord with the Statutes, Section 8, non-members may avail themselves of the services of the Council by submitting a written request to the Board, and non-members may participate in certain activities of the Council by invitation. All general services offered, educational programs sponsored and materials produced by the Council are available to non-members.
In order to respond to requests in a timely manner and to provide ongoing access to the services and resources of the CMSWR, the status of Affiliate has been established for those superiors who are interested in the CMSWR but are not eligible to be members.
Affiliate Status with Mentorship
Affiliate status with mentorship is open to women who reside in the United States and govern private associations of the faithful which have been established with a view to becoming religious institutes or societies of apostolic life. Those who govern these associations must be analogous to major superiors and their legitimate vicars in accord with their own statutes, which have been approved by competent ecclesiastical authority. These associations must have juridic personality as a private association of the faithful and must subscribe to the criteria for membership.
Affiliate Status without Mentorship
Affiliate status without formal mentorship is open to local superiors of mission houses located in the United States, whose religious institutes or societies of apostolic life do not have a motherhouse/provincial house in the United States. These institutes and societies must have been canonically established, and subscribe to the criteria for membership.
Affiliate status may also include women superiors who reside in the United States and govern women’s branches of Ecclesial Families and Societies of Apostolic Life and other societies that do not meet canonical criteria for membership in the CMSWR, if these superiors acknowledge the general and specific purposes of the CMSWR, as set forth in Article 2 of the Statutes.
Benefits of the affiliate status:
Limitations of the affiliate status:
For more information about membership and to speak to a sister, please click on the contact link below.
August 2021